Fire-foam-delivery apparatus



Dea, 17, 92 9.

H. BURMEIS'IER FIRE FOAM DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Jan. 17, 1929 iNVENTOR @UMEJS HANS mi? BY 7mm/W5( @www ATTRNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1929UNITED STATES' 'PATENT oFFicE HANS BURIVIEISTIEIR7 0F BERLIN, GERMANY,ASSIGNOR TO PYRENE-MINIMAX COR- PORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWAREFIRE-FOAM-DELIVERY APPARATUS Application filed January 17, 1929, SerialNo. 333,055, and in Germany January 28, 1928i.

The presentinvention relates to iire fighting apparatusl and has for anobject to provide improved means for delivering tire foam downwardlyonto the surface of a liquid without disturbingl said liquid.

Vhen deliveringr foam onto the surface of oil, for example in a tankwhich has caught tire, it is desirable that the foam should flow ontothe surface of the oil with as little force as possible in order that itmay not stir up the oil or canse spattering thereof and in order thatthe foam may not be destroyed by mixing with the oil.

It is possible to flow the foam against the side of the tank and if thetank walls are suitably shaped and if conditions are otherwise favorablethis method of introducing the foam down into the tank may serve. Undersome conditions, however, due to irregularity of the shape of the tankwalls or the heat of said walls this method is not effective.

r[he present invention provides an apparatus which can be introducedinto an oil tank over the upper edge thereof for flowing the foam to thesurface of the oil in such manner that the quality of the foam ismaintained and the surface of the oil is not disturbed.

T he nature and objects of the invention will be better understood froma description of a particular` illustrative embodiment for the purposeof which description reference should be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof and in which- Figure 1 is a side view ofa foam delivering apparatus constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a detail view showing the construction of an illustrativeform of battle member.

The structure shown for the purposes of illustrating the inventioncomprises a series of deiecting baffle members adapted to be suspendedbeneath the outlet of a foam delivery pipe to retard the fall of thefoam as it is delivered downwardly onto the surface of oil in an oiltank.

As shown a pipe 5 is arranged to deliver foam over the side wall 6 of anoil tank. Beneath the end of the pipe are suspended a series of battlemembers 7 through which the foam flows downwardly to the surface of theoil. These members are formed of a suitable shape to retard the fall ofthe foam sutilciently so that spattering of the oil as the foam reachesthe surface thereof will be prevented and yet efective rapidity of flowwill be maintained. In the illustrative embodiment, the baille membersare of funnel or bucket form tapering downwardly and positioned with thelowerI end of one bucket extendingl into the top of the bucket nextbelow. The bottom of each bucket is formed with a balile member 9extendingI across the bottom thereof but spaced from the lower edge ofthe body of the bucket to permit sufficiently free flow of the foam. Thebaille plate of the bottom bucket may be omitted as shown if desired. Bythis arrangement the fall of the foam is retarded at least at the bottomof each bucket.

The tapered form of buckets being advantageous for the retarding of theflow of the foam inside of said buckets. l

In operation the foam escaping from the delivery end of the pipe 5 willpour into the uppermost funnel or bucket 7, flow outwardly through thebottom thereof into the next bucket and'so downwardly until findingresistance in the bucket engaging the oil, it will pile up in suchbucket and tiow over the Lipper edge thereof.

The taper of the several'buckets is such to leave ample space betweenthe telescope walls to permit free iiow of foam under these conditions.

The several buckets may convenientiv be connected to each other andsuspended from the delivery end of the pipe 5 by suitable chains 10 orother suitable flexible memlgiers and it may be convenient in handlingthe apparatus to provide a wire cable l1 or other suitable flexiblemember extending down through the center of the buckets and secured tothe bottom of the lowermost bucket. As will be clear from the drawingall of the bucket-s can be readily telescoped and collapsed into acompact unit at the top for convenience in handling and movement overthe top of the wall of the tank.

The foregoing description is illustrative merely and is not intended asdefining the lim-A its of the invention,

I claim- 1. In an apparatus for delivering fire foam vertically downwardonto the surface ot-the liquid, the combination with a foam deliverypipe of a series off vertically arranged funnel-shaped members throughwhich the foam may descend and by which its fall is retarded, eachfunnel-shaped meinber beingprovided at its bottom with a baille plate toobstruct the llow of foam.

2. In apparatus for delivering` fire foam vertically downward onto thesurface of the liquid, the combination with a foam delivery pipe ot aseries ot tapered baille members arranged to Conduct foam downwardly ina tortuous ath and means for collapsing said series of aille membersinto a compact unit for Convenience in handling, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

In apparatus for delivering' lire foam vertically downward onto thesurface of the liquid, the combination with a foam delivery pipe of aseries of telescoping -funnel-shaped tapered members for retarding theflow of foam downwardly therethrough7 a plurality of flexible membersconnecting said funnelshaped members together with a flexible memberextending downwardly through the center thereof and arranged to liftsaid members to collapse the series into a compact unit for handling.

In testimony whereof` I have signed my name to this specification this20th day of December, 1928.

HANS BURMEISTER.

